Some known vehicle systems include braking systems that rely on air pressure to control the braking system. (As used herein, the term “vehicle system” may refer to a single vehicle or multiple vehicles mechanically coupled with each other, such as in a vehicle consist. A vehicle may include a propulsion-generating vehicle capable of self-propulsion or a non-propulsion-generating vehicle that is incapable of self-propulsion.) For example, air brakes are prevented from engaging moving parts of the vehicle systems by maintaining sufficient air pressure in conduits of the braking system that includes the air brakes. In order to activate the air brakes, the pressure is decreased so that the braking system no longer is prevented from engaging the moving components of the vehicle system. The braking system engages the moving components to stop or slow movement of the vehicle system.
Operators of vehicle systems may assume that the vehicle systems can provide a certain amount of braking force (e.g., braking effort) at a given rate (e.g., propagation rate) when the braking systems are activated. Due to inaccurate information used in calculating these forces and/or rates, degradation of the braking system, changes in the route being traveled, and other causes, the actual braking force that is applied may be less and/or the actual braking force may be supplied at a slower rate.
Because operators rely on the expected amounts of braking force that can be supplied and the rate at which the braking force is supplied to be accurate in order to safely operate the vehicle systems, inaccuracies in the braking force and/or rate can result in unsafe operation of the vehicle systems.